Literature Review

Exploding physician union membership signals a significant labor market shift NJToday.net; 10/16/24 As of 2022, about 70,000 medical doctors in the United States, or about 8% of the physician workforce, belonged to a union—a notable increase of 26.8% since 2014. This shift reflects significant changes in the employment landscape for doctors, with nearly half of all physicians now working for health systems or large medical groups. The rise in union membership comes amidst broader labor movements in healthcare, highlighted by the 2023 Kaiser Permanente strike, recognized as the largest healthcare worker strike in U.S. history. While nurses have typically led these efforts, physicians and residents are increasingly exploring unionization as a means to advocate for improved pay, benefits, and working conditions. 

More health care teamwork means less burnout: physician survey American Medical Association (AMA); by Georgia Garvey; 10/8/24 Physician burnout is largely influenced by workplace structure and experiences. That is where team-based and safe-care delivery can help, according to a study published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety. In the study, “Teamwork Climate, Safety Climate, and Physician Burnout: A National, Cross-Sectional Study,” 1,218 U.S. doctors nationwide were surveyed about burnout and workplace experiences, including teamwork and safety climate. ... The researchers concluded that there is a strong relationship between the amount of teamwork and safety in physicians’ work environments and burnout. It is a relationship that showed improvements on those metrics even when compared with slightly different work climates. Among the physicians surveyed, 27.4% reported high depersonalization, 39.9% reported high emotional exhaustion and 45.6% met the criteria for burnout. But even small increases in teamwork and safety climate were related to improvements in physicians’ feelings of depersonalization, burnout or emotional exhaustion.

Ellen McGirt on supporting caregivers at work Great Place to Work; by Roula Amire with Ellen McGirt; 10/8/24 This episode of Better features journalist, speaker, and podcast host Ellen McGirt. In this deeply personal conversation, we dive into the challenges of caregiving while balancing a career.  ...On how managers can better support caregivers at work: Flexible time off, no questions asked. A flexible schedule can change everything for people. ...On the impact a senior leader can have by talking about caregiving and grief: If a very senior person triggers this conversation in the workplace with a disclosure or concern, you're going to see new training, new conversations, new talking points, and new volunteers, and maybe even new staff positions around this. ...On how colleagues can support coworkers who are caretakers, or members of the sandwich generation: Kindness and compassion go a long way. ...

University of Maryland bolstering palliative care workforce via master’s degree, certification program Hospice News; by Molly Bookner; 10/7/24 The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Pharmacy is seeking to address the dearth of palliative care-trained clinicians and improve care among seriously ill patients. By 2060, the demand for palliative care is expected to nearly double, according to the World Health Organization. Yet, despite this need, significant gaps in training remain, with many professionals lacking exposure to hospice or palliative care during their schooling. UMB seeks to bolster the palliative care workforce through its online Graduate Studies in Palliative Care program, launched in 2017. While most palliative care clinical education programs see small cohorts of five or fewer students, UMB is seeing a larger crowd of professionals enter the workforce. Of the Class of 2024, 36 students received their Master of Science degree and seven received a graduate certificate. “We have an amazing diversity of students,” Mary Lynn McPherson, professor in the Department of Practice, Sciences, and Health Outcomes Research at the School of Pharmacy and executive program director of Graduate Studies in Palliative Care, told Palliative Care News. 

EEOC sues AccentCare Home Health Care company for pay discrimination and retaliation U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Press Release; 9/27/24 AccentCare, a nationwide home health care service company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, violated federal civil rights laws by paying female employees less than a male colleague because of their sex and retaliating against a female employee who repeatedly complained, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, female Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) working out of AccentCare’s Pottsville, Pennsylvania, location were paid less than their male colleague for performing equal work, despite their superior qualifications. After a female LPN repeatedly complained about the gender-based pay disparity and requested a raise, AccentCare retaliated against her, and ultimately fired her. Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which prohibits pay discrimination based on sex and retaliation for opposing sex discrimination.

NY home care agency pays $400K in racial prejudice lawsuit A home care agency in Brooklyn, NY, was ordered to pay $400,000 to settle a race and national origin discrimination lawsuit filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. ACARE HHC Inc., doing business as Four Seasons Licensed Home Health Care Agency, routinely assigned home health aides based on clients’ racial preferences, according to a consent order filed with the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. These workers, which included Black and Hispanic aides, would either be transferred to new client assignments based on clients’ wishes or lose their employment entirely, EEOC found. These practices were a violation of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers from making job assignments based on workers’ race or national origin. Four Seasons will pay $400,000 in monetary relief for the home health aides affected, according to the consent order. It will also update its internal policies and training processes related to Civil Rights Act requirements, cease making home health aide assignments based on clients’ race or nationality preferences, and provide semi-annual reports to the EEOC regarding any reports or complaints surrounding race discrimination.

The growing, troublesome issues around non-solicitation agreements in home care Home Health Care News; by Audrie Martin; 9/23/24 In August, Comfort Keepers was fined $500,000 and forced to remove language from its contracts restricting caregivers from accepting positions with home care clients up to one year after terminating employment. That contract language, dubbed a non-solicitation agreement, is a widely used clause in home care contracts to protect providers’ businesses. On its end, the Irvine, California-based Comfort Keepers is a large franchise that offers non-medical in-home support, including meal preparation, companionship and personal assistance. The company required each client to execute a care agreement containing this language before receiving services. California Attorney General Rob Bonta concluded that this agreement violated California law by restraining worker mobility, as caregivers could not be hired by any Comfort Keepers client, not just the client to whom they were assigned to provide services. ... 

Hospital nurse turnover, vacancy rates by year Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mackenzie Bean; 9/24/24 Nurse turnover and vacancy rates have declined since their pandemic-era peaks but remain elevated, according to data from the "2024 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report." The report, released in April, includes survey findings from 400 hospitals in 36 states on registered nurse turnover, retention, vacancy rates, recruitment metrics and staffing strategies. Survey data covers more than 194,000 nurses and was collected in 2023. ... Below are the average rates of registered nurse turnover and vacancy in hospitals between 2019 and 2024, according to the report. The data suggests hospitals have made progress in reducing nurse turnover and vacancy rates since their peak during the pandemic. However, sustained efforts to stabilize the workforce, improve working conditions and address burnout are needed to fully recover.

10 fastest growing C-suite roles Becker's Hospital Review - Leadership & Management; by Kristin Kuchno; 9/23/24 Organizations in the U.S. are expanding their C-suite with technology- and human-focused executive roles. LinkedIn analyzed the fastest growing C-suite roles from 2022 to 2023 using member profile information, ... Here are the top 10 fastest growing roles LinkedIn found [from #1 highest to #10]: 1. Chief data officer; 2. Chief legal officer; 3. Chief human resources officer; 4. Chief product officer; 5. CEO; 6. Chief technology officer; 7. Chief commercial officer; 8. Chief information security officer; 9. Chief people officer; 10. Chief marketing officer.

Nurse workplace violence reporting increased 1,080% with new tool Becker's Clinical Leadership; by Mariah Taylor; 9/19/24 Making it easier to report workplace violence with quick-scan codes on walls and badges increased reporting by 1,080% in two months, according to a new study. ... When surveyed, nurses said they did not report workplace violence incidents for the following reasons: "nothing will change" (24%), "event was not severe enough" (21%), "part of the job" (15%), "electronic reporting system is time-consuming/complicated" (9%), "lack of time" (6%), "don’t know how" (3%) and "lack of leadership support" (3%). In addition, more than half of respondents said they disclosed the event to the charge nurse when they did not formally report it.  To overcome these barriers, researchers created a tool that allows nurses to scan a quick-response code with their phones. Codes were located on wall flyers and name badge stickers. Two months after implementation, the tool recorded 94 quick response code scans and 59 workplace violence reports, a 1,080% increase in violence reports compared to the two previous months.

Hiring manager fired for refusing to post 'ghost jobs' is now sharing how to recognize them Upworthy; by Jacalyn Wetzel; 9/18/24 There doesn't seem to be a shortage in job openings but there does seem to be an abundance of people looking for work for months without finding gainful employment. According to Ceros Whaley, a former hiring manager at an unnamed company, the problem is that unsuspecting hopeful employees are unknowingly applying for "ghost jobs." Whaley shares that part of his job as a hiring manager was to create "ghost jobs," which are simply fake job listings. He explains that these job listings were not created to find more qualified people to fill positions but to "encourage" current employees to improve their performance. Whaley says that he got into a little bit of a kerfuffle with his higher manager over the company continuing the ghost job ruse. By the time the man reached his tolerance level for posting fake jobs, he had already posted over 300 ghost jobs on sites like Indeed, Monster and other hiring sites. But Whaley shares that he found his morals and just couldn't continue the practice. ... [The] frustrated former employee … did a follow up video sharing how to spot ghost jobs and how to avoid them while you're job hunting. [Click on the title’s link to view.] 

How healthcare leaders view Gen Z in the workforce Becker's Hospital Review; by Kristin Kuchno; 9/18/24As more members of Generation Z move into the workforce, some have clashed with management or disagree with how their employees view them. The group, born between 1997 and 2012, has been described as both tech-savvy and overly reliant on technology. Some human resources professionals have said they lack work ethic and time management skills. The early-career employees themselves have said they find enjoyment in full-time work and value career growth and planning. Here are three healthcare leaders' perceptions of Gen Z in the workforce.

The 9 college majors that lead to the most fulfilling careers ... NBC 7 San Diego, CA; by Kamaron McNair; 9/14/24 If you want your degree to help you land a fulfilling job, consider studying music therapy. The medical and therapeutic fields are among the college majors helping graduates get jobs that make the world a better place, according to graduates surveyed in a recent Payscale report.24/7 San Diego news stream: Watch NBC 7 free wherever you are Alumni with bachelor's degrees in music therapy are most likely to do this kind of fulfilling work, with 95% of degree-holders saying their work makes the world a better place, Payscale finds. Music therapy programs cover coursework in music, music therapy, science and psychology, according to the American Music Therapy Association. ... Music therapists may work in traditional settings, offering services to clients working through physical disabilities or mental health issues. People in hospice care, substance abuse programs and cancer treatment centers have also benefited from music therapist visits, according to the AMTA.Editor's note: Click here for facts and descriptions about "Music Therapy in Hospice Care," by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). To recruit a certified music therapist for hospice (or other setting), visit AMTA's Job Hotline.